


Shelter

by orphan_account



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Blood, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 17:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7767298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Mickey comes out in the bar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shelter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eggplantemily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eggplantemily/gifts).



> Based off a tumblr post by Becauseyourenotfree.tumblr.com.

"Go wash blood off your face," Svetlana spoke to Mickey as she entered the house with her husband, two of his brothers, and his boyfriend trailing behind her. They all took off their coats once they came inside. The other brothers went elsewhere after the fight at the bar broke out and Mandy was staying with Kenyatta. "I will put Yevgeny to sleep," she said, stepping into the living room to put Yev in his cot after rocking him. Iggy and Joey went off into their room as Mickey and Ian went together to the bathroom, in total silence. 

Ian picked up two hand towels that were sitting in a corner (they didn't look that dirty) and wet them with water from the sink. As Mickey took one of the towels and dragged it down the side of his face, filling it with red, he said, "I didn't just do it 'cause of you." They both continued trying to wipe all of the blood off, Ian didn't acknowledge what Mickey said at first. "I handed him my son for the first time and the first thing he does is blow smoke in his face and get us all to take shots in front of him. Even I wouldn't do that," Mickey elaborated quietly as he unbuttoned his shirt to get at the injuries on his torso. 

"And if I hadn't done that," Mickey went on, not waiting for Ian to respond. "Then we would be in the same situation. Beating me. Raping Mandy. Couldn't have it. And it wasn't because of you."

Mickey wasn't used to the feeling of powerlessness, considering he had a cabinet and dresser full of guns in his house and an unbeaten record in fighting. He thought this way he could convince Ian that he had no power over him, that he made his own fucking choices and Ian had nothing to do with them. 

The thug's chest was heaving up and down quickly as he cleaned the blood around his ribs, he hissed in pain when he accidentally pressed too hard on the skin. Ian could see right through him in that moment. He wouldn't put it past Mickey that all those things were true, but not entirely. Normally, the red head would be grilling Mickey for acting tough like Ian wasn't a member of the family and Mickey had no reason to care about him as much as he cared about his sister or his son, but this time, he let Mickey feel tough. He deserved it. 

When they both finished up, they shoved the towels into the dirty hamper and washed their hands. Just before they were going to leave the bathroom, Ian cupped Mickey's jaw in his hands and leaned down to kiss him softly, like Mickey would break as easily as the glass in the mirror, and it would have hurt Mickey's ego if he hadn't been busy soaking in the comforting feeling of Ian's fingers on his neck. 

"Thank you for doing that," Ian whispered, kissing the scratch on the side of Mickey's head. "I know it was hard."

The words felt a little like acid, they made Mickey recoil out of Ian's warm embrace despite himself. "Then why-" Mickey started saying until he choked up, taking a second to swallow the bile that arose in his throat. "Why'd you make me do it?" It didn't feel good to admit that Ian's threats controlled Mickey's actions tonight, but it didn't feel so bad either, in hindsight. And Mickey needed an explanation. 

"I believed you could do it. I believed in you, Mick," Ian said, not risking stepping closer to him again just in case he needed his space. "I'm sorry if I hurt you." Mickey looked back at him with sad eyes, he couldn't bring himself to accept the apology. "You've got to believe me too. I'm sorry, Mick," he said desperately, but the expression on Mickey's face didn't change and he had to accept that. He could understand why. 

"Let's go to bed, man. I'm ready for this night to fucking end," Mickey said, throwing his red-stained shirt in the hamper and pushing Ian out the door. The red-head went willingly, crashing into Mickey's bed as soon as he entered the room and Mickey came falling after him. They settled down together on the bed, facing each other, one arm under each of their heads and the other arm around each other. 

"I love you, Mickey," Ian said secretively, trailing his fingers gently on his boyfriend's ribs. 

Mickey didn't repeat his words back to him, not for lack of wanting to, but again, he felt like all of the air was sucked out of him and he couldn't speak. He was devastated, why couldn't he just be the goddamn man that everyone needed him to be? How could saying three words be this fucking difficult? Jesus, Mickey kicked his father off his pedestal tonight and instituted himself as the next Milkovich patriarch, but he couldn't do this? Really? It was one hurdle over the next, over the next, over the next, and they felt like they were getting 3 times as tall each time and he was two times shorter. 

Ian didn't have a problem with it. He had intimidated Mickey enough already and if he did it again, then no amount of apologies would fix it. Time doesn't heal all wounds. "It's okay. You don't need to say it, right now," Ian said, because he knew Mickey would say it sometime. When he was ready to. He made Mickey feel a teensy bit better about his inability to communicate. 

The taller boy turned around and snuggled his back against his boyfriend's chest because Mickey had a big bruise on his right side so they couldn't cuddle up the other way. He didn't think twice about being the little spoon for just the night, in fact he rather liked it.


End file.
